SunModo’s M.O.

The UW Minority Business of the Year Awards, launched in 1999, recognize outstanding achievement by minorities in building and sustaining businesses in Washington State. This year’s winner of the Southwest Washington Award is SunModo, a solar panel mounting company. The company was founded in 2009 by Tony Liu with the mission to provide the best value racking and mounting solutions for solar power systems.

Liu, also the company’s president, brings over 20 years of product development and manufacturing experience to SunModo. Prior to founding SunModo, he served as the senior mechanical/thermal engineer at Intel and also worked for Danaher and Credence to develop electronic power supply systems for fighter jets.

SunModo has established itself as the provider of affordable, high-quality solar mounting products. The company excels at installing rooftop and ground mounted systems. One of their most successful product lines is their patented EZ roof mount systems, which accounted for over 50% of their sales in 2011.

SunModo has produced a number of improved solutions and new products for the market by leveraging their mechanical and structural engineering capabilities and working with major installation companies. Its competitive advantages include easier installation due to fewer parts and detailed guidelines, lower installation and maintenance costs, and the ability to quickly respond to the market’s and customers’ needs.

According to the Minority Business of the Year Awards selection committee, “SunModo understands the business they are in and has developed innovative products that differentiate them in the market.” They are located in Vancouver, WA and sell their products across the U.S. and are exploring expansion to Canada. They employ nine people and expect to earn $5 million in revenue in 2012.

UW Minority Business of the Year Awards is on December 6 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle. It is hosted by the Foster School’s Business and Economic Development Center. The awards program will highlight the impact of minority businesses on the state’s economy and support the growth of the next generation of minority entrepreneurs. Learn more about purchasing a ticket or sponsoring a table.

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